The Baronet's Bride

gh which, one stormy night scarcely a month before, he had admitted Achmet the Astrologer. He stood there with

omber thoughts that he did not hear the library door open, nor t

ds of pale flaxen hair pushed away under a dainty lace cap-a lady who looked scarce thirty, althou

said. "May I come in, or do you pre

e wheeled round, his dark, moody face lighting up at sight of her, as all the glorious morning sun

ly this is a surprise! My dearest, is it

issed her as tenderly as a bridegroom of a week might have

oner of state. And on my boy's christening fete-the son and heir I have desi

pable frown, swept over the ba

ressed?"

And Mildred sits en grande tenue on her cricket, in a speechless trance of delight, and nurse rustles about in her new silk gown and white lac

rcastically; but Sir Jasper's attempt

on his shoulder, and looked up in h

it?" sh

et laughe

is w

s dark, mysterious moodiness. Jas

d me of late! Nonsense, Olivi

augh, and again it w

light-blue eyes n

e night of our boy's birth you ha

s lips twitched convulsively; his face

ated. "Surely my husband, after all

, of her eyes, stung the husban

onately. "It would be sheerest nonsense in your eyes,

sp

! It is true. You would look upon it as sheerest fol

ittle coldly. "You know me better. I could

t he told me the past so truly-my very thoughts! And no one could know what happened in Spain

d looking and liste

wly. "Will you tell me, Sir Jasper, or am I to und

ne cloud should ever darken the sunshine of your sky, if I had my way. You are right-I have a secret-a secret of horror, and dread, a

n our boy?" she

naces the son I love more than life. I thought to keep it from you;

ot tell me what

ld not have you su

laugh at it and you. Your terms

scarce know what I sa

away from his grasp. She was a thoroughl

I had right to know of any danger that menaces my baby, but it appears I was mistaken. In

silent anger, but the baronet str

re cruel to yourself and to me, but you shall hear-part, at le

she said,

to the window, and kept his

llers, clairvoyants, astrologers

ertainl

it troubles me-for I believe; and the prediction of

brought forth a mouse. My dear Sir Jas

ir Jasper, moodily; "I said so.

y terrible, then?" aske

l me all

ivia! On that night of our baby boy's birth, after I left you and came here, I stood by this window and saw a spectral face

let him in,

ivia, like no creature I ever saw before,

, no d

r, "and his face was blanched to a dull dead white. He would have loo

c in the extreme! And this singular being-

astern astrologe

her than London in his life-time.

, his speech, convinced me of that. And, Olivia, charlatan o

listened with

the good people of the village

ants of the house know aught of what he told me

y year

first tour. Events that occurred in Spain-that no o

was st

old me of as if they had transpired yesterday. The very thoughts that I thought in that by-gone time he revealed as if my heart lay open before him. How, then, could I doubt? If he could lift the veil of the irrevocable past, why not be able to lift the veil of the m

quiet smile of half amusement, h

t," she said, the smile deepening. "You paid you

of water. Of his own free will he cast the horoscope, and,

you say th

the Astr

now, Sir Jasper, what awf

ieve. What the astrologer f

id, entering. "Lady Helen bade me remind yo

hastily glanc

otten. Come, Sir Jasper, and forg

ening-robes, slept in nurse's arms, and Lady H

who was god-mamma, said, fussily. "Had

service. We will not delay an i

us burden, went before

s own, and Mr. Carlyo

d King

out of sight, and then went slowly

nonsense of these fortune-telling impostors! If I had been in his place I would have had him horsewhipped from

r the majestic copper-beeches, through the lofty gates,

end Cyrus Green, Rector of Stonehaven, stood by the baptism

n upon his arm. No trace of the trouble within showed in his pale

rend Cyrus Green was blandly offering his congratulations to the greatest man in the parish, when a sudd

ing voice-the voice of an angry woman. "Stand

nearthly figure-like one of Macbeth's witches-with streaming black hair floating over a long, red cloak, and two bla

erced even to the gaping listeners without-"at l

et started back, putting up both hand

God! Z

ed the woman; "Zenith

rone, the madwoman, no

for the ruin is y

ed-speechless, stunned-his

ith streaming hair, blazing eyes, and

ago-young and beautiful, and bright enough even for the fastidious Englishman to love? Look at me now-ugly and old, wrinkle

a madwoman's shriek-crying out

u, here in the church you call holy! I curse you with a ruined woman's curse, and hot

rom their petrified trance. The Reverend Cyrus

urious lunatic! Dawson! Humphr

h a screech of demoniac delight; "the

One second later, and its blood and brains would have bespattered the s

er fast; her frantic shrieks rang to the roof. Then suddenly, al